Rail-mounting assembly

ABSTRACT

An assembly for securing a longitudinally extending rail for rail vehicles has a metallic base plate detachably fixed to a solid substrate. Rail holddowns secure the rail to the base plate, and retaining devices anchored in the substrate and pressing the base plate down against the base plate.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a rail-mounting assembly. More particularly this invention concerns a rail-mounting assembly.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

WO 2007/083553 describes a system for securing a rail, in which a rail base plate is penetrated by screws on either side of the rail. The screws are anchored in a bed of concrete and press respective spring clamps to a foot of the rail so that both the rail and the base plate are pressed down by the screws. In addition, retaining brackets are provided to resist forces acting laterally or transversely and mechanically positively support the base plate only transversely. The retaining brackets for their part are pressed against the substrate by further screws.

DE 101 39 198 describes a rail base plate laterally penetrated by screws, and spring clamps are provided for fixing the rail to at least one of the screws. In addition, the base plate has projections that mechanically positive engage in corresponding grooves in a substrate so as to provide sufficient lateral support of force.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

It is the object of the invention to indicate an assembly for securing a rail for rail vehicles, which assembly enables simple fixing to a substrate.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An assembly for securing a longitudinally extending rail for rail vehicles. The assembly has according to the invention:

-   -   a metallic base plate detachably fixed to a solid substrate,         rail holddowns securing the rail to the base plate, and         retaining devices anchored in the substrate and pressing the         base plate down against the base plate. In other words, the         invention has a retaining device separate from the base plate.         This retaining device can be optimized with respect to the         retaining function thereof so that the base plate per se can be         freely shaped.

In particular, in this way anchoring elements can be saved. With general advantage, in the case of an assembly according to the invention, no more than two anchor elements engaging in the substrate can be provided transversely.

The base plate is advantageously produced as a casting. It can consist of metal, particularly steel, or also of another material such as, for example, plastic. The solid substrate preferably, but not necessarily, consists of concrete. It can be, in particular, a continuous substrate such as used in modern constructional forms of ballast-free surfacing.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the retaining device has a frame member having a pressure surface resting on the substrate with frictional couple. This pressure surface can be optimally adapted in size and structure to the requisite retaining forces so that a greater degree of design freedom is available for the base plate.

In that case, it is additionally preferred if the frame member is tightened against the substrate by an anchor element passing through the frame member. By “anchor element” there is to be generally understood in the context of the invention any fastening means that is loadable in tension and that engages in the substrate and connects the base plate with the substrate. Examples of preferred anchor elements in the context of the invention are bolts—that are mechanically positively held in the substrate—with a threaded head, concrete anchors of various forms of construction, and screws. In the case of use of screws as anchor elements these can, for example, be fixed in a bore of the substrate by means of pegs.

The anchor element exerts direct pressure forces on the pressure surface by means of, for example, a screw nut so that very high forces are achievable on the basis of a friction couple between pressure surface and substrate surface.

In that case, advantageously a tightening clamp can be clamped against the frame member, wherein the tightening clamp mechanically positively engages over the base plate and resiliently urges this in the direction of the substrate. This allows the base plate an advantageous possibility of vertical movement in the case of corresponding vibrations and oscillations. The pressing force of the base plate can then be defined by the design of the tightening clamp, in which case the tightening of the frame member relative to the substrate is not thereby limited.

In order to secure a position of the rail in the plane parallel to the substrate provision is made for the frame member to mechanically positively support the base plate not only in a longitudinal direction parallel to the rail, but also in a transverse direction perpendicular thereto and parallel to the substrate. For that purpose, the frame member can, for example, bear flush against the base plate transversely and be engaged around by projecting arms of the base plate.

With general advantage, the retaining device can comprise an angle guide plate for supporting a tightening clamp. This allows a flexible design with respect to height adaptation of the retaining device. In that case, in the interests of simple realization a spacer plate for vertical height adjustment of the retaining device can be arranged below the angle guide plate.

In order to adapt the base plate to a respective installation situation and in order to provide compensation for the tolerances that are frequently large in the case of a solid substrate, it is advantageously provided to arrange a spacer plate for vertical height adjustment of the base plate below the base plate.

In addition, it can be provided that for damping purposes at least one intermediate plate of a low-stiffness material is arranged below the base plate. This allows simple and effective sound insulation. In particular, it allows the construction in accordance with the invention in which the intermediate plate is not exposed to the high pressing forces of an anchor element. A low-stiffness material in this sense is, for example, a plastic with a static stiffness of less than 200 kN/mm.

According to the preferences described in the preceding an assembly according to the invention is, with particular preference, designed so that the base plate is not penetrated by an anchor element received in the substrate. This allows limitation of the mounting forces acting from above on the base plate.

With particular advantage the substrate has below the assembly a planar surface without mechanically positively supporting structures. This means significant savings and simplifications in the construction of the substrate and is made possible by the special characteristics of an assembly according to the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The above and other objects, features, and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a section through an assembly according to the invention,

FIG. 2 shows an exploded perspective view of the assembly of FIG. 1 and

FIG. 3 shows a perspective detail view of the assembly of FIG. 1.

SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The assembly according to the invention comprises a rail base plate 1 for holding a rail 2. The base plate 1 is constructed as a steel casting.

The rail 2 extends, in the illustration according to FIG. 1, in a longitudinal direction perpendicular to the plane of the drawing view. A transverse direction extends horizontally in the plane of FIG. 1. The gravitational force of a rail vehicle acts in a height direction in turn perpendicular thereto, in which case transverse forces also arise in the transverse direction, for example during travel through bends.

In this case the rail 2 has a conventional profile and is located in the region of switch points, so that, in addition, a further rail 2′ adjustable transversely rests on the base plate 1.

In principle, an assembly according to the invention can also be used outside switch points and in a straight rail region. The exact shape of the base plate 1 can in that case be adapted to the particular use.

The base plate 1 is arranged on a concrete sleeper or substrate 3. In this case the substrate has a smooth surface without grooves or shoulders such as are usually provided in the prior art for resisting transverse forces. This allows economic and simple production of the substrate 3.

The rail 2 is fixed to the base plate 1 by rail holddowns 1 a. In that case, the rail foot is pressed by standard holddown clips or clamp clips (not illustrated) against the base plate 1. Screws that may be used for fixing the rail 2 to the base plate 1 do not pass through the base plate 1 and are not anchored in the substrate 3, but are in fact screwed into the base plate 1.

An intermediate plate 4 of a material of low stiffness, in this case a plastic with a static stiffness of ≦200 kN/mm is provided between the base plate 1 and the substrate 3. This intermediate plate 4 serves for shock and sound decoupling between the rail 2 and substrate 3.

Moreover, an optional spacer plate 5 of metal is initially provided below the intermediate plate 4 so as to compensate for any height tolerances of the substrate that may be present. The spacer plate 4 can alternatively also consist of plastic.

The base plate 1 is fixed in position by two retaining devices 6. A respective such retaining device 6 is positioned on each side in flush abutment transversely in front of a transversely directed end face of the base plate 1. The base plate 1 is thus mechanically positively held transversely.

In addition, projecting arms 1 b of the base plate 1 engage around, that is longitudinally to both sides of the retaining devices 6 so that a mechanically positively support in the longitudinal direction is also realized.

Vertically, the base plate is mechanically positively held by holddown clips 7 of the retaining devices 6 that are braced vertically by the retaining devices 6 down against the ends of the base plate 1 pressing it against the substrate 3 by a force defined by the holddown clips 7.

The retaining devices 6 each comprise a lower frame member 8 whose lower face is constructed as a defined pressure surface 8 a that bears bon the upper face of the substrate 3.

The frame member 8 has a central hole 8 b through which passes an anchor element 9 fixable in the substrate in usual manner and forming part of the retaining device 6. In this example the anchor element 9 is constructed as a bolt that is mechanically positively anchored in the substrate and that has a threaded head. Alternatively, the anchor element can also be constructed as, for example, a screw that is anchored in the substrate in an anchor sleeve.

The anchor element 9 also passes through an angle guide plate 10 above the frame member 8 and serves for defined guidance and support of the holddown clip 7, of the retaining device 6. The holddown clip 7 is constructed analogously to holddown clips conventionally used in rail substrate construction, wherein the precise shape, material strength and spring constant can be adapted according to the design of the base plate. With particular advantage, holddown clips can be used that correspond with a conventional standard.

An optional spacer plate 11 between the frame member 8 and the angle guide plate 10 that analogously to the function of the spacer plate 5 enables precise adaptation of height to compensate for tolerances. In the normal case, the spacer plate 11 can correspond in its thickness with the spacer plate 5, when one is used.

Nuts and washers 12 on the anchor element 9 press down on the holddown clip 7. In that case the holddown clip 7 is pressed down by them until in abutment with the angle guide plate 10. The pressing force of the frame member 8 on the substrate 3 can thereby be selected as desired through the tightening moment of the nut 12 without the pressing force of the base plate 1 being further increased.

Correspondingly, the base plate 1 can deflect vertically insofar as, due to vibrations or shocks, forces are reached that exceed the spring force of the holddown clip 7.

Transverse forces arising are sufficiently braced by the retaining devices 6 or frame members 8. For that purpose, the size of the pressure surface 8 a, the coefficient of friction of the pressure surface 8 a with the substrate and the tightening moment of the nut 12 are appropriately dimensioned.

In this case, use is made of exactly two anchor elements 9 for fixing the base plate to the substrate 3. In particular, only two anchor elements 9 are used in the transverse direction, namely one at each end of the base plate 1. Depending on the longitudinal length of the base plate 1, several anchor elements 9 can be provided in a row extending in the longitudinal direction. 

We claim:
 1. An assembly for securing a longitudinally extending rail for rail vehicles, the assembly comprising: a metallic base plate detachably fixed to a solid substrate; rail holddowns securing the rail to the base plate; and retaining devices anchored in the substrate and pressing the base plate down against the base plate.
 2. The assembly defined in claim 1, wherein the retaining devices each include a respective frame member having a lower face bearing directly on the substrate.
 3. The assembly defined in claim 2, wherein the retaining devices each include an anchor element passing through the respective frame member.
 4. The assembly defined in claim 3, wherein the retaining devices each include an elastically compressible tightening clip compressed vertically between the anchor element and the base plate and pressing the base plate down against the substrate.
 5. The assembly defined in claim 2, wherein the frame member is transversely and longitudinally braced against the base plate.
 6. The assembly defined in claim 2, wherein each retaining device includes an angle guide plate for supporting the respective holddown clip.
 7. The assembly defined in claim 6, further comprising: a respective spacer plate for vertical height adjustment is provided underneath each angle guide plate.
 8. The assembly defined in claim 1, further comprising: a spacer plate for vertical height adjustment of the base plate underneath the base plate.
 9. The assembly defined in claim 1, further comprising: for damping purposes at least one intermediate plate of a low-stiffness material underneath the base plate.
 10. The assembly defined in claim 1, wherein the base plate is imperforate and not traversed by an element seated in the substrate.
 11. The assembly defined in claim 1, wherein the substrate has a planar and uninterrupted surface beneath the base plate. 